Seahawks offensive and defensive grades from dominant Week 14 win

Seahawks bounce back in dominant fashion in Week 14.

Last week, many 12s were disappointed in the Seattle Seahawks Week 13 loss to the New York Giants. Well, they were given the perfect opportunity to bounce back in Week 14 as they faced another New York team. The Seahawks certainly took advantage of the situation as they came out firing against the Jets.

An angry Seattle team jumped out to an early lead and played complete football for all four quarters. Seattle focused on the rushing attack while also being aggressive in the air. Although it was a blowout, this is what most 12s were expecting out of this game.

As always, here is the Seahawks grade report from Week 14. Spoiler alert, A’s all around.

Offense

Last week, against the Giants, Russell Wilson was never really able to settle in. In the blowout win over the Jets, outside of the one interception, Wilson made it look easy. Completing 21 of 27 passes for 206 yards and 4 touchdowns, Wilson led this offense up and down the field in what felt like an exhibition.

A crucial element moving forward for this Seattle team is protecting Wilson. He doesn’t need 6 or 7 seconds to throw the ball. He just needs consistency from the guys up front. Yesterday, we saw that as Wilson was able to settle in and go through his reads. When he is able to keep his eyes down the field and maneuver through the pocket, he really becomes dangerous. He would have received an A+ if it wasn’t for the interception early in the game.

The Seahawks went back to the run game yesterday. Both Carson and Hyde provided solid numbers for this Seattle rushing attack. Many 12s are hoping to see more of Chris Carson as the season nears a finish and are excited for the return of Rashard Penny. In yesterday’s game, Carson was involved in the passing attack. Very early in the season, this offense showed flashes of getting their halfbacks involved in the aerial attack.

Moving forward, it will be helpful for Wilson to get Carson, Hyde, and Penny involved in the passing attack. Although Carson only had 3 catches for 22 yards, it allows Wilson to make quick throws and keep possessions alive. It also forces the linebackers to be honest, which could result in some soft spots in the middle of a zone. Carson rushed 12 times for 76 yards and 1 touchdown while Hyde rushed for 66 yards on 15 attempts.

The Seattle Seahawks passing attack looked a little different yesterday. Early on in the game, they focused on short, intermediate routes. We are used to seeing a Seattle team that runs the ball and takes deep shots down the field. This also doesn’t come as a surprise. Last week against the Giants, some can say Seattle focused too much on the big shots down the field. The Giants were willing to give them the underneath routes and the Seahawks simply ignored it. We saw a lot of underneath crossing routes and hitch routes from the Seahawks wideouts against the Jets.

If they are able to incorporate this short, intermediate passing game into the offense more frequently moving forward, they will be very difficult to stop. D.K. Metcalf led the way with 6 catches for 61 yards and 1 touchdown. We would also like to extend our birthday wishes to the second-year wideout who is on his way to becoming one of the best in the game. His counterpart, Tyler Lockett had 5 catches for 52 yards. Rookie wideout Freddie Swain recorded his first career touchdown as he was the recipient of the opening touchdown. I have a feeling this Seattle aerial attack is going to get better before the season ends.

The Seahawks offensive line appeared to be at full strength prior to yesterday’s game. Last week against the Giants, this offensive line struggled upfront. Yesterday, they were able to provide some consistent pass blocking and as a result, Seattle established its offensive rhythm. Wilson was sacked 1 time and hit 3 times, but those numbers are significantly lower than in previous weeks.

This group is key for the Seahawks if they want to make a run in the postseason. No matter how good Russell Wilson is, they will not be able to win games if he has no time to go throw his reads. Or, more importantly, if he cannot keep his eyes down the field because of constant pressure in the pocket. Yesterday was impressive, but it was also the Jets. The real tests loom in the upcoming weeks as they take on the Washington Football Team, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.